The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of eyeglass accessories and more specifically relates to a glider eyeglass comfort system.
2. Description of the Related Art
As early as the 13th century, man has worn eyeglasses to correct problems associated with poor vision. A crude but effective means of improving eyesight, the first eyeglasses were nonetheless far superior to earlier methods of vision enhancement, which included such practices as peering through a magnifying glass, holding a polished stone over the eye, or even reading text by looking through a filled glass of water. With the introduction of concave lenses in the early 16th century, the chances for a nearsighted person to see more clearly, vastly improved. A favorite of Pope Leo X, these early glasses were far better than those which came before and offered nearsighted persons their first opportunity to see objects at a distance. By 1629, the first ever spectacle company was started in England. Still a far cry from the glasses worn today, eyeglasses manufactured in the 17th century were made of quartz and were set into bone, metal or leather mountings.
Shaped like two small magnifying glasses, these simple eyeglasses were held together by an inverted V-shaped handle, which was designed to balance precariously on the bridge of the nose. Today, eyeglasses lenses are mostly manufactured from plastic, optical glass or polycarbonate material and are used to improve nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. Worn by millions of Americans, eyeglasses frames are most typically made from drawn wire or lightweight, plastic material and are held in place in front of the wearer's eyes via two, extension arms which rest atop either ear, as well as a simple bridge with two, integrated nose pads, which sit firmly atop the wearer's nose. Providing those who suffer from poor vision an effective means of seeing clearly, eyeglasses are truly a revolutionary invention.
While the practicality and usefulness of eyeglasses can never be disputed, most consumers would agree that wearing eyeglasses is not without one major drawback. Specifically, many eyeglass wearers find that because eyeglasses rest directly on the nose, the weight of the eyeglasses can cause discomfort. With the weight of the eyeglasses resting firmly atop the nose, wearing eyeglasses for extended periods can result in pressure to this area and can cause one to suffer a variety of associated maladies. Specifically, for those who suffer migraines, the concentrated weight of the eyeglasses on the bridge of the nose can lead one to experience headache symptoms. Further, the actual nose pads utilized to support the eyeglasses can actual pinch the nose, compressing the sinus passages and restricting one's airways.
As can be imagined, suffering a horrible migraine or dealing with a stuffed nose, simply because one is required to wear eyeglasses to comfortably see, can be extremely challenging. As many consumers would attest, purchasing an expensive pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses, only to find that they cause discomfort can be a very frustrating experience. This is not desirable.
Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,685 to Simon M. Conway; U.S. Pub No. 2006/0077339 to Shahrooz S. Jamie, et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,152,298 to James Frederick Frank. This art is representative of eyeglass accessories. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, a glider eyeglass comfort system should provide an eyeglass accessory to help redistribute the weight of eyeglasses from the nose to alleviate pressure on nasal cavities and the bridge of a nose, thus ensuring a more comfortable fit while also preventing nasal congestion, migraine headaches, and other medical maladies that can directly result from the pressure to the nose created by eyewear and, yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable glider eyeglass comfort system to avoid the above-mentioned problems.